| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| farmgirlruns |
Posted - Jul 04 2005 : 5:52:02 PM
Hello to all my farm girl friends. I have just returned from MaryJane's Farm and Farm Fair. It was the funnest weekend ever. I feel like I have just made another great farm girl friend in MaryJane Butters. She is everything I thought she was and more.
When we arrived at MaryJanes Farm it was about 11:30. We had to stop off at the Moscow farmers market before we took the jaunt to MaryJane's. We already had our aprons on and a couple of the vendors commented that we must be going to MaryJane Butters. We proudly said,"Yes!!" and the anticipation was building. We drove through oceans of green wheat fields and drove about a mile of dirt road. Suddenly, we could see the peak of the white tent in the distance and the excitement and enthusiasm of the day began. We were greeted by country boys who directed us to our perfect parking spot in the middle of a cut wheat field. Then we were greeted by MaryJane's beautiful daughter Meghan clothed in a denim skirt, darling apron, cowboy boots, and of course being MaryJane's daughter a straw cowboy hat as well.
We were anticipating meeting MaryJane right from the start, but Meghan informed us her mother wasn't feeling well and she wasn't sure she would be able to make it. She assured us her mom would get our gift before the days end and we went on our way. The air was cool but the sun was shinning and the music and excitement filled the air. There were about 15 vendors selling things like organic produce and antiques. MaryJane's girls were selling all of MaryJane's wares. I bought several items there and felt just right in my new straw hat. As we wondered around MaryJane's farm a little disappointed that MaryJane was feeling ill we were in awe of the beauty of gardens and the freedom we had to just wonder as we pleased. A couple hours had gone by since we had arrived and who did we see in the window of MaryJane's studio? Yes, it was MaryJane herself. We didn't know it at the time but she busy doing a taping for PBS television on the, "heartland".She is the epitamy of the heartland. She was dressed in a country white skirt, a white blouse, with a red scarf around her neck and of course a red apron. Although she was in the middle of taping she graciously stopped to say hello, explain what was going on and the best part sign Lori's apron that she had made just for our visit. She didn't want to do it at first because she didn't want to ruin the apron that she adored. She signed and then asked us to sign her fresh new apron. She loved the idea and we loved her. It felt like we were old friends come to visit and she couldn't wait to talk about nothing else but good farmgirl stuff. As the day went on she walked around a bit and greeted and bought from the vendors. What a compliment to have MaryJane buy a dress that you made or a meal you prepared. She danced with a cute cowboy that later sang for us with his lovely wife and band. Our day had been made. We met MaryJane Butters,her daughter, her husband Nick and a couple of her awesome assistants like Dory,Sunny and Julie. But, the day only got better. After dinner, she joined us in the plum pit for some relaxing farmgirl conversations. We talked about our jobs, our children, and what else our chickens. She was so sweet and wanted to make sure everyone had a comfortable place to sleep and rushed down to get a few women sleeping in tents to come up and sleep in the beds in the plum pit and a vacant
hut that the PBS crew didn't end up staying in.
The next morning we had intentions of running together but MaryJane was a bit behind on her chores after being sick for a couple of days. I wish I had known I could have helped her. She quietly got up before the rest of us and did her chores and then met us for breakfast. We stood for a good hour by the fire talking again, and then she and Dory took us for a tour of her new country store, test kitchen, packaging area and living quarters. She was perfectly comfortable answering any questions we had and in true farmgirl style she was most proud of her laundry and bathtub combo room. It also had the coolest old incubator for little chicks that was one of the highlights for me. She is a very humble women. She seems as beautiful inside as she is on the outside.Her staff raves about her. Everyone seems like family. She believes in the power of a women and is such a believer that women can accomplish anything. Sad as it was, it was time to head home. MaryJane and her farm will never be forgotten. And, we can't wait until next year to go back and maybe see her new facility close to finished. We can only speculate because the whole thing is being built with cash as they go. Pretty remarkable. I hope this gives all of you that couldn't be there a little bit of Farm Fair and MaryJane's farm. P.S. Guess what we listened on hour six hour return drive home? YOu guessed it, MaryJane's book on CD. Just couldn't get enough. |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| mommom |
Posted - Aug 26 2006 : 06:40:43 AM
I was flicking through the tv channels one day and came across the Heartland sega with Mary Jane on it! It was my rodeo channel. But, I got to it a little late and only saw the very end. Now, I go to that channel first because I want to see what I missed! Thank you for sharing! Susan (Mommom) |
| Kate |
Posted - Nov 07 2005 : 4:49:38 PM
Well Hello Karin~
May we give you a warm MaryJanesFarm Welcome.
My name is Kate and I work on the farm as a helper. We are so excited that you have joined our farmgirl forum. Your interest in Farm Fair is wonderful. As you mentioned, you have skimmed through MaryJane's book. If you still have access to it, there is a section on Farm Fair. It starts on page 46. I will also give you all the information here as well. It's held annually on our farm just outside of Moscow. Next year, that will be July 1st and 2nd from 11am to 4pm. The spirit is lively and family friendly. We try to create a family farm atmosphere and an alternative or addition to Fourth of July activities. "Bringing back the traditions of rural community" is our objective. With each year we are gearing it towards families more and more. From horseshoe games to antique dealers, u-pick to bluegrass music, the event is a gathering of all kinds sharing a similar interest in farms, family, and rural community. We would love to see you at the next Farm Fair. Thank you for all of your support - we look forward to meeting you!!
Love,
Kate
Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.....unless they are spelling mistakes. |
| YiberryYadeeKarin |
Posted - Nov 07 2005 : 4:07:08 PM
I need to know more about next year's get together! WHERE exactly? And WHEN?
I was working on Saturday -- I'm a bookmobile clerk/driver in northern Idaho -- and had taken along an interesting looking book we had on hold for a patron. It was Mary Jane's book! I decided to check out her website and it's opened up a whole new world to me!
I was at a bookmobile stop that is just south of Coeur d'Alene, ID (north of Moscow, ID by less than one hundred miles), so VERY CLOSE to Mary Jane's farm!
This is just SO EXCITING to me!
Someone, please fill me in on some details for 2006!
Thanks, Karin |
| Farmer mom |
Posted - Jul 07 2005 : 08:02:55 AM
Hi, I'm new to the forum and I too made it to the Farm Fair with my family. It was great, we drove 3 hours one way to get there but it was definately worth it. The Plum Pit is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I didn't talk to Mary Jane she was busy and we needed to start on our way back home, maybe next year. I was too busy looking at all the farm ideas she uses so maybe I could copy some on my farm!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for letting me share!
Loving life on my farm everyday! |
| TheSoapMaven |
Posted - Jul 07 2005 : 05:35:32 AM
Oh you gals are making me so jealous!!! Not really, I am so happy you all got to be there, meet MaryJane and her staff...what wonderful friendships are being formed here!
Blessings & Bliss!.· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-~Susan~
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Wife, Mother, Natural Woman, Savonnière, Writer, Baker, Gardener.
Soulmate to Jerry for 30 years
Mom to Zach, Gesikah, Nathan, Hannah, Rachel and Benjamin
Yetta to Sam
Proprietress of Dahlem's Soapworks
http://www.thesoapmaven.com
"It's no bad thing to celebrate a simple life" ~ Bilbo Baggins
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| bug-girl63 |
Posted - Jul 07 2005 : 01:36:11 AM
I would love a coffee table book of ghost towns. My children and I traveled to North Dakota this past spring and I saw some pretty close to ghost town towns. It is sad. I'm still struggling with it thinking of how I could bring them back to life. I'll bet we crossed paths at MaryJanes farm. I had MaryJane sign my apron and I was the first to sign hers! (during the PBS documentary). she was just finishing up and we happened in. Perfect timing! I can't wait until next year.
Lori
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| Photobugs |
Posted - Jul 06 2005 : 4:13:43 PM
I, too, was one of the fortunate ones to attend Mary Janes Farm Fair on July 2nd. When I found out the dates of the Farm Fair at first I thought..hummm what am I going to do...celebrate a romantic weekend with my husband or drag him off to one of my 'things.' So I mentioned to my husband that this is what I wanted to do for our 10th wedding anniversary. He said, "What ever you want, honey." He spoils me. Then as it turned out we were headed to Florida to move his parents to our little town of Post Falls, Idaho. We knew it would take about two weeks to get down there, pack them up, and drive the moving truck back with all of their belongings. As it turned out we made it back on Thursday evening on June 30th. So we could go to the Farm Fair.
As a side note I was really looking forward to the drive from Florida to Northern Idaho because I wanted to see some of the USA that I had not seen before. One of the things I found of interest were the 'ghost farms' along the highways in Kansas and Colorado. They were beautiful, yet sad. I tried to invision what the farm wives had lived like when they were there and where they might be now. As an amateur photographer I would love to photograph those sweet little farms for a coffee table book. But would anyone want to see these abandoned farms? They had a beauty that impressed me. I had order my MJ book from Random house but it had not come before we left...a major disappointment as I wanted to read it on the road. But I did have my laptop and watched The Waltons, Cold Mountain, and others.
Onto the Farm Fair...Our friends, John & Karen, and my daughter, Brennah accompanied Tim and I on our nearly two hour drive out to the farm. After making our way through the town of Moscow we viewed fields and farms along the way. Karen and I had our copies of MJ's book and were eager to have her sign them. When we got the news that Mary Jane had been down with the flu we were quite disappointed. Well, we went on to buy some delightful wares from the vendors and boogied alittle to the tunes playing by the bands. Then there was the self guided tour of the farm. I have to say the Plum Pit was my favorite. My daughter and I hopped onto one of the beds there (well, I had to have a push as those old beds are kinda high off of the ground)...it was just too inviting to ignore. We sat and watched people come and go for about ten minutes. It was nice to feel that we were 'invited' to sit and chat. The pit was something most people could attain with their own touches. For instance, I would have to add some kind of screen around the firepit as I have young grandchildren who would need that safety feature. But everything else was perfect. The pictures in the book do not show enough of the Plum Pit. It was FABULOUS!
Then came our chance meeting of Mary Jane. As we walked up the hill to see what was in some of the quaint buildings we happened upon the PBS crew filming her. She was standing in a big window. The camera guy came out and told us she would sign our books in a moment. And that she did. He filmed my husband handing her my book and signing it. She did ask my name and then I walked up and we met, and signed the book to me. I was pleased I had taken my camera, my daughter got shots of the whole thing. I do wish I had taken extra film (I rarely leave the house without extra film), but we got in a hurry to leave so we could get there. So I did not get an many photos as I would have liked to. Anyway, I'll remember this next time. MJ was gracious as we talked briefly.
I'd say we were in the right place at the right time.
We continued our tour of the farm and my hubby had a little fun teasing the goats. We did some bargaining with the vendors, ate our lunch, listened to more music, witness MJ dancing with the cowboy and then headed for home. A fun stop at a yard sale ended the day. All three of the women in our group bought goodies there. Don't you just love yard sales?
It was not what one might call a romantic 10th anniversary, but we had all had a great time and would do it all over again. It seems that I always hear of great events happening in the USA, but they tend to be in the East. It is nice that we have our own great event here in he Northwest. I hope to be a vendor next year...that way I can be there both days and not miss a thing! Thanks for letting me share my memories of Mary Jane Butters Farm Fair 2005.
"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice scream!" |
| bug-girl63 |
Posted - Jul 05 2005 : 8:30:20 PM
Good job Dana. Dana is my best friend and traveling companion to MaryJanes Farm this past weekend. MaryJane signed my apron that day and what a treasure to bring home. As I washed the dust from the weekend off of the apron (I had made from a vintage pillow case)my heart was so full of the fond farmgirl memories that were made. My apron is hanging on the clothesline and being blessed with the light summer rain before I bring it in for display. MaryJanes Farm is everything and much more than Dana described. MaryJane says that being a farmgirl is a feeling, a smell, a sense or something familiar and I felt it was in the air at the farmgirl fair. I would encourage everyone to plan on attending this event. See you next year! |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Jul 05 2005 : 06:14:30 AM
Thank you for that Farm Day review, Dana. You described everything so well that I felt like I was there looking on. I am amazed at how fun it sounded and how organized!
I bet next year there will be a lot more than 15 vendors! I am involved in a fair here in my area, and we have had 70 vendors in the past, so I thought it was really unique that it was that size. Seems like that would make it more homey, quaint and enjoyable..
So glad you got to meet MJ. Maybe someday.....:)
jpbluesky
Heartland girl |
| westernhorse51 |
Posted - Jul 05 2005 : 05:09:52 AM
Thanks Dana, what a weekend. I really appreciate you sharing it with us. I wanted to make it soooooooo bad. I've already told my husband that next year im going. Maybe we'll all go as a family. They can stay in a hotel, I'll stay on the farm for the night. I am glad Maryjane is as she appears , I knew she would be. Her book is as great as I hoped it would be. I cant wait to meet her. From the first day I picked up her magazine(1st issue) my world started to change, I had a "place" to come too that was understood. Glad you has a wonderful weekend and trhank you for sharing it. Michele
"she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands". Prov. 31:13 |
| rockinhorse |
Posted - Jul 04 2005 : 10:21:21 PM
Wow! Thankyou for sharing your experiance and visit to maryjanes farm. I to one day hope to make my way there and it sound just like I would emagine it to be. Glad to here you had a great time.
Happiness must be grown in one's own garden! |
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